Introducing PLKB

A BRAND FOR ALL

Since 1971, we believe that Peter Lynn Kiteboarding has been ahead of its time, innovating kites and developing gear aimed at harnessing the power of the wind in the best way possible. Innovator of the first kite buggy, father of depower foils and market leader in power kites: Peter Lynn Kiteboarding never missed the opportunity to invite anyone interested in wind and power in this world. These shared passions are reflected in the optimal products for every discipline, that we’ve been constantly developing and creating kites using latest technology and aiming to push the sport to new levels, and riders to the top of podiums.

We also believe that change is inevitable. Number one in the kite-buggy discipline, Peter Lynn always pushed it’s gear on water and snow with true craftsmanship. In the same way that we push our gear and riders, we push the brand to become the best and change through time. Like seasons come and go, so to eras of companies. With a new management and new riders on board, we've decided to share with you why we've decided to rename ourselves PLKB and show you all that is new in our quiver

What does PLKB stand for?

Obviously, it means Peter Lynn Kiteboarding. We didn’t want to split from the past because we're still the same, just reinvented. We wanted to project into the future whilst maintaining our history, only with a rejuvenated and new spirit.

With new management and new riders on board, we believed a new logo would reflect the new energy that entered the company. So, between 2018 and 2019, Peter Lynn Kiteboarding started to brain storm ideas for this updated logo to symbolize this change. Before arriving at the final design, ideas were generated to try and find what fit best: keeping just ‘Peter Lynn’ wouldn’t reflect the totality of the brand, and only using ‘Lynn’ wouldn’t reflect its full history.

Naturally and effortlessly, we arrived at the conclusion that Peter Lynn Kiteboarding will from now on be known as its acronym: PLKB. It is the reflection of the passing of time from the long 70s to the quickness and directness of now. PLKB maintains the identity of our historic brand whilst at the same time catapulting us into the age of youth, mainstream and fun 24/7.

How does 40 years of Peter Lynn shape your products and philosophy?

Lots and lots of experience, lots of time spent with a kite in hand, testing and experimenting, has resulted in excellent design & quality, especially thanks to our highly professional designers who have been with us since the beginning.

At PLKB we are a team and we try to work together as much as possible. When a new kite design is introduced, we are all eager to see it and test it and give each other advice on the best way to market and sell it. Our passion for wind, water, snow, land transcends everything, and no discipline is out of our reach. Alongside this passion we care deeply for people. We care about giving people the best products out there which offer the most fun, so they can enjoy the sport as much as they want. To discover how we can fulfill all of this, we work a lot with team riders to see how they react to the products and to our ideas.

As the designers develop new products, they test them out in the Netherlands and then ship them around the world for team riders to test. The kites are tested and played with in all conditions: on land, snow and water. Therefore, all the thousands of variables possible are made clear. The design team in turn receives feedback which feeds into their work and creativity, thereby creating even more advanced products. Products which are better, faster and stronger for a wide range of people is what marks PLKB as a brand for truly anyone to enjoy and smile with.

YOUR HOME BASE IS IN THE NETHERLANDS. DO YOU SEE YOURSELF MOVING?

If you know where the Netherlands is, then you probably know that it can get stormy, rainy and quite cold. However, it’s also the land of kite champions and thanks to the rough conditions that people are usually subjected to, they grow and evolve into the best they can be. Being Dutch has its perks, and all of these are reflected in the companies that reside in this globalized land. PLKB is no exception.

As a 100% Dutch company, PLKB has followed the storms and winds and used the kites it has designed to harness their power. We’re lucky that the Netherlands is the perfect playground to develop kites for all conditions, but luck isn’t enough to make products this good. On the team we have (Dutch) designers who, together with a large international team of dedicated riders and kite enthusiasts, are developing new kites full-time. Their work is split into constantly developing on existing characteristics and dedicating time to exploring new technology and methods to improve the flight of the kites and the riding of those who use them. PLKB Dutch-ness is seen in our kites through and through: the minimalist but striking design, with the logo right there for everyone to see, because what’s most important is recognizing the kite thanks to its incredible flight.

So, no! We are proud to be Dutch and to have Dutch products, and we will probably never leave the Netherlands. This is land in which we have shaped the way we think about the products and the way we test them.

So, what has changed?

First of all, we designed a new logo and made a whole new website. This website will show all about the heritage, team riders from all disciplines, their projects and past adventures and much more…
But mostly importantly, you will be able to see all about our new products when they’re introduced! You will be able to see the new clothing line we developed, with the new logo and the ever-present Triscali.

Next to the logo and website we also have a new, bigger, younger and super smiley team.
Firstly, the new and evolved PLKB team is incredibly talented and dedicated! The energy which they have brought to the brand has re-ignited the fire of passion of everyone in their office, as they have tackled and succeeded in the challenges which re-branding brought. From failed t-shirt designs, to losing all picture files or working during holidays, the team always powered through, proving that PLKB is stronger than a storm.

Why is your new motto "Never Stop Playing"?

We started saying “Never Stop playing” around the office and with team riders. It brought a big smile across everyone’s face. It’s actually hilarious and super fun to always have this fresh spirit around, even when things might go wrong, or if it gets tough, we always have that to keep us laughing and smiling. That’s the energy that we want to put in everything we do and in all the products we design.

With “Never stop Playing” as our new mantra, PLKB has grown, evolved and we have entered the next chapter of our journey to become THE brand. Our ore and roots remain the same, with a deep love for snow, buggy, land- and kiteboarding. Our tremendous experience creating kites that exceed expectation puts us on a whole other level and our dedication isn’t to marketing extravaganza, but to produce the very best kites out there for everyone to enjoy and have fun with. We’ve taken on the challenge of beating big brands, defying all odds.

How is the 2019 line-up looking?

Of course the PLKB team is super stoked about the new products that they have coming out! They are extremely proud of the results and work they’ve put into it.

Firstly, we have two new and improved versions of the popular kites coming out in April. The Swell V4 comes with the new TriFlow tech, which creates a kite without creases for better air flow, ultimately a much smoother canopy and wave-riding experience. The Lynx V5 is completely updated: now featuring an internal safety, a much more stable wing profile and a bigger depower range. So that one size can work with every changing mountain condition, and last throughout the whole session without having to worry about switching sizes.

Next to these updates we have some other kites coming: one is a light wind single-strut kite and a the other is a new 5-line C-kite. These are are currently being finalized and will be ready for release soon too… And last but not least we are coming with a new design for the Capital board. This summer is definitely going to be a fun one for our PLKB team, in true #Neverstopplaying fashion!

Where do you see the future of kiteboarding going?

We think Hydrofoiling is the next big thing as it's becoming more and more popular. We’ve seen a big increase in this sport recently and since most of us do not practice it but really wanted to try it out, we decided to make a product just for people like us, hydrofoiling beginners. We already have the Aero V2 which is used in hydrofoiling, especially in races and for lots of speed, but it’s not an easy foil to use as a beginner. This is why we’ve designed the Nova as the perfect introductory hydrofoiling kite.

Being the father of the depower foils, hydrofoiling is in the DNA of PLKB. So we went on to create a kite which satisfies windless summer conditions without compromising on the fun of hydrofoiling, and which actually makes this sport so much easier to get into and become good at. This foil kite is called Nova: acting like a tube kite, it’s extremely stable with little to no side-ways pull, making it so easy to direct and place it where needed. So that the rider can focus on the hydrofoil board without worrying about the foil falling or deforming. Similar to other closed cell foil kites on the market, but further developed to really suit anyone trying hydrofoiling for the first time. It is a kite that floats and restarts with only a little breeze and has the handling of a regular tube kite. With 2 design teams in the company, lots of development has produced incredible results.